February 2016

U.S. Business Leaders to Bring Expertise to Colombia’s Post-conflict Economy

Washington, DC — Meeting with a group of American business leaders yesterday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that a CEO Advisory Board has been formed to help Colombia take full advantage of its post-conflict economy. The announcement came as part of a wider discussion about the business and economic outlook for Colombia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“The U.S. business community has helped Colombia become the fastest-growing economy in South America, so I am particularly honored to welcome continued U.S. business support for our country as part of my visit to thank the United States for all the support it has given Colombia,” said President Santos. “We look forward to working with the members of this CEO Advisory Board to produce even greater economic growth and prosperity for Colombians in the post-conflict period.”

Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former CEO of the Kellogg Company, Carlos Gutierrez, and former CIA Director and U.S. Central Command Commander, General David Petraeus, have accepted the invitation to be founding members of this Advisory Board. The first CEO Advisory Board visit to Colombia, set to take place in the second half of 2016, will focus on laying out the strategy for the government to develop the economy and private sector during the post-conflict years.

Following President Santos’s keynote address at the U.S. Chamber luncheon yesterday, visiting ministries met with U.S. business leaders to discuss a host of key bilateral and regional trade issues.

President Santos is in Washington, DC, this week for an official White House visit to celebrate the progress Colombia has made with U.S. support through Plan Colombia and the future of the Colombia-U.S. partnership. In addition to President Obama, President Santos will meet with other key Administration officials, including Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, as well as with top congressional, international and U.S. business leaders in America’s capital today through Friday.

U.S. Business Leaders to Bring Expertise to Colombia’s Post-conflict Economy

Washington, DC — Meeting with a group of American business leaders yesterday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that a CEO Advisory Board has been formed to help Colombia take full advantage of its post-conflict economy. The announcement came as part of a wider discussion about the business and economic outlook for Colombia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“The U.S. business community has helped Colombia become the fastest-growing economy in South America, so I am particularly honored to welcome continued U.S. business support for our country as part of my visit to thank the United States for all the support it has given Colombia,” said President Santos. “We look forward to working with the members of this CEO Advisory Board to produce even greater economic growth and prosperity for Colombians in the post-conflict period.”

Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former CEO of the Kellogg Company, Carlos Gutierrez, and former CIA Director and U.S. Central Command Commander, General David Petraeus, have accepted the invitation to be founding members of this Advisory Board. The first CEO Advisory Board visit to Colombia, set to take place in the second half of 2016, will focus on laying out the strategy for the government to develop the economy and private sector during the post-conflict years.

Following President Santos’s keynote address at the U.S. Chamber luncheon yesterday, visiting ministries met with U.S. business leaders to discuss a host of key bilateral and regional trade issues.

President Santos is in Washington, DC, this week for an official White House visit to celebrate the progress Colombia has made with U.S. support through Plan Colombia and the future of the Colombia-U.S. partnership. In addition to President Obama, President Santos will meet with other key Administration officials, including Vice President Joe Biden and U.S.

Secretary of State John Kerry, as well as with top congressional, international and U.S. business leaders in America’s capital today through Friday.

Washington, DC – This morning, Colombian Ambassador to the United States Juan Carlos Pinzón kicked off the second Global SOF Symposium, a forum focused on the international fight against terrorism and the role of Special Operations Forces (SOF). The theme of this year’s symposium is “Achieving SOF Interoperability” and the Ambassador’s address focused on the evolution and transformation of the Special Forces of Colombia when he served as Minister of Defense.

“It is very important for Colombia to show the world that the transformation of our military forces and police are today being studied worldwide as an example of how to increase military capabilities. The men and women of our Armed Forces are being recognized for all the sacrifices they have made and work they have done in Colombia’s search for peace. They are the soldiers and police who now have the world’s oldest guerrilla group sitting at a negotiating table to bring an end to a more than 50-year conflict,” said Ambassador Pinzón.

The symposium, being held today through Thursday in Tampa Bay, FL, includes leaders and international speakers who are a part of the global special operations community. The purpose of the Global SOF Foundation is to take a look into the future, collecting the expertise and experiences of governments, military, industry, academia and media.

In addition to the Ambassador, participants include U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Michael Lumpkin; Deputy Minister of Defence for Lithuania Marijus Velička; Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst; and Catherine Herridge, FOX News Intelligence and Counter-terrorism Correspondent; among others.

Represented at the symposium are 26 countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Yemen and Nigeria, as well as NATO allies Lithuania, the United Kingdom and France. The symposium includes working sessions covering various topics – “War Next Generation,” “Fight Night” and the current problems of safety at sea in southern and eastern China.